Spring 2016
Spring 2016 Was the second season of the Simulation, seeing 26 submitted turns and two elections, as well as the beginning of the first war. Politics Maine elected Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, as their new Governor in a close race with Independent Candidate Eliot Cutler. Kansas impeached their Governor, Samuel Brownback, as well as their Lieutenant Governor, Jeff Colyer, over charges of knowingly destroying the state economy through destructive deficit-driving plans. As a result of the double-impeachment, the state held emergency elections, choosing Democrat Marci Francisco as the new state Governor. Diplomacy Illinois made a public statement to all nations, but in particular their neighbors, "assuring that the nation of Illinois will not be making any aggressive moves against any neighboring country." Military In the first war of the post-United States, Massachusetts began an offensive against Connecticut after Connecticut was found poisoning the waters on the coast of Massachusetts. The state legislature of Massachusetts has passed legislation codifying their interest in expanding both North and Eastward through military and/or diplomatic action, signaling an aggressive future for the state. Projects Pueblo, Colorado, has seen large growth in population and business due to initiatives by municipal governments to get people moving and living there. This has resulted in the city becoming a “boomtown.” Colorado also saw the construction of the First National Bank of Colorado in the capital of Denver, helping the growth of Service commodities per season. An apparently emboldened Maine set ambitiously off to build a border wall around the entire state. While the project was given the OK by the state, construction firms ran into funding problems about ⅓ of the way through the project, and as such, Maine only has a wall built along the top of their border with New Hampshire. Many locals in the state are confused and embarrassed by the project and its utter failure, while the government has made no indication they plan on stopping construction. Minnesota enacted the “State Religion” project to establish Catholicism as the state’s official religion. New churches were built for the Catholic purpose, and the Government was restructured to have specific Catholic imagery and allusions both in text and in visualizations. While Catholic participation and membership is expected to rise, the state has seen a drop in happiness by 1, seeing as the over 70% of the state’s population that is not Catholic sees this as a backwards step. Fargo, North Dakota, located as close as you can get to leaving the state for the convenience of the citizens, has recently seen a large increase in population. Some credit the state government’s handy allocation of resources to help the city, some credit the fact that Minnesota just built a wall, and some simply say it’s luck. Either way, Fargo is now a “boomtown,” and will certainly help the state out nicely. The state of Indiana has without shame begun a massive statewide propaganda program to extol the benefits and greatness of the state and national political party, the Nationalist Indiana Party. While this has not raised happiness significantly, leaders can sleep a little easier at night knowing that at least it is not at the abysmal level 2 any longer. New Mexico built a Center of Worship for Catholicism in Santa Fe, the state's capitol. This is reported to have increased happiness as well as the religious adherence of those in the capital to the religion. Wisconsin, in retaliation to Minnesota's wall, decided to build a TV Studio in the city of Milwaukee to begin broadcasting Wisconsin culture abroad. Not only has this aided in cash generation, but they are already planning on airing a show within the year. While there is no title yet, it is rumored the show has something to do with cheese. Arizona built their first National Bank in the capital of Phoenix. There's really not much else to say. By some form of miracle, the city of Pierre, South Dakota, experienced the fastest growth rates in human history, and over the past two seasons, went from being a city of 13,000 people to one in the ranks of Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Dallas. While the South Dakota government is suspected of kidnapping hundreds of thousands of people from abroad, or perhaps even cloning its own people, there is no debate that Pierre is now a big fucking deal. Legislation The state of Indiana has universally passed a law legalizing marijuana in the state by a vote of 50-0, seeing all members of the NIP, the only political party in the state, supporting the movement. This has seen a rise in happiness and leisure in the state for the time being. Nevada failed at passing two bills through their legislature, one aimed at creating an 80% state income tax failed by a vote of 3-18 in the state Senate, while a bill to "Make a more Japanese society" failed by 1-20, with the lone senator in affirmation defending himself in saying "リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー" Oregon attempted to legalize marijuana, which was already legalized. The senators, visibly confused by the bill, simply legalized it a second time.